


Short 35 - Saving The Planet Can Be Fun

by stgjr



Series: "The Power of a Name" Series 3 - "Time Lord Penitent" [12]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), Multi-Fandom
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Multiple Crossovers, Multiverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-04 15:41:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10993953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stgjr/pseuds/stgjr
Summary: When the TARDIS lands in a strange rainforest base engaged in rampant logging, our narrator and his Companions find they've arrived on one of the more bizarre Earths in existence.  But it will give a chance for some fun.





	Short 35 - Saving The Planet Can Be Fun

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on December 17th, 2014.

It's bizarre how some cosmoses that would not really make sense in existing actually do exist out here. They're the ones that, if you observed them as a work of fiction, would make you scratch your head as to how they work. I mean, how do villains the equivalent of a Saturday Morning Cartoon villain operate effectively? Why do they do the convoluted plans that often show no real indication of profitable outcome?  
  
I've met them from time to time. I believe the term is Outside Context Problem. Mostly them toward me. Although I admit to my share of raised eyebrows on my part. And the occasional facepalm.  
  
I normally don't relay these meetings because they are inevitably awkward, possibly irritating, and quite boring. I make an exception for this one due to some reasons that shall become apparent.  
  
It starts, of course, with the TARDIS deciding to take us somewhere I hadn't planned to go. Instead of the scenic valley I had planned it was some form of futuristic factory out in the middle of nowhere. We emerged on a roof top of the factory and looked out at vehicles ripping their way through what looked to be rainforest. "Well, so much for pleasant scenery," I sighed to the others. "I'm not sure we have room for Naga here, Korra."  
  
Naga whined at that and hung her head low. "Sorry girl," Korra said apologetically. "We'll get you out for a good run when we find out what's going on." She gave Naga a reassuring pet on the muzzle before closing the TARDIS door.  
  
I brought out my sonic and noticed some intriguing energy readings. "Well, that's interesting. Rather bizarre energy readings in this compound. Shall we?"  
  
We entered the building's roof access and went down the stairs. The facility looked surprisingly unoccupied, or at least this structure. "I'm reading an enclosed air circulation system," I murmured to the others. "Looks to be in the central chamber." I pondered why such equipment would exist in what was clearly meant to be a logging operation.  
  
Unsurprisingly I got my answer a minute later.  
  
It was an execution chamber.  
  
Which, of course, told me something of the nature of the builder.  
  
The chamber was visible from the second floor, presumably for the enjoyment of spectators, but they weren't present. Although there was a very visible security camera looking into the chamber. One press of the sonic screwdriver caused it to shut down in a small shower of sparks.  
  
"There are _kids_ in there," Asami gasped in horror.  
  
I looked in and saw shapes struggling in billows of evil gray smoke. "Korra!" I looked to her and then around. No windows. "Blast a hole in the wall!" I knew that would send a pretty big signal to whomever was running this place that someone was meddling, but given the sight below me I didn't have time to worry about that.  
  
Korra turned and assumed a Firebending stance. Since the building was not made of earthen materials or metal, well, that's where powerful blasts of fire came in. With a couple of quick movements to build ferocious power, she thrust her hands forward and sent out a powerful blast of flame that slammed into the far wall and blasted it open. Daylight poured in.  
  
"Now open the chamber and pull the toxic gas out, I'm going to find the shutoff valves!" I rushed away with Asami while Korra followed up blasting a hole in the gas chamber. Around a corner I found controls locked by a computer system. I brought out the trusty sonic screwdriver and began to override them. In the chamber the gas began to dissipate. Korra was using Airbending to draw the gas out and push it out of the hole in the wall she'd made. But this wouldn't be enough; I had to shut down the flow too.  
  
" _And just what are_ you _doing?_ ", an offended, refined voice said in a decent English accent.  
  
I narrowed my eyes. I thought I recognized that voice.  
  
I _did_ recognize that voice.  
  
I turned toward a screen and saw it flash into existence with a black background. Green color were used to form the image of a head. I narrowed my eyes in recognition.  
  
Oh. _Oh._  
  
 _This world._  
  
I almost facepalmed just for our luck. And that made it quite clear just who was in the gas chamber, too.  
  
"I'll get around to you later," I declared, sonic screwdriver raised. With a press of a button I shorted out the screen. I returned to my work, overriding the remote control and taking local control back to shut the gas valves. With this vital task done, I checked on Korra. With the valves closed she was getting the last of the nasty gas sucked out of the chamber. This allowed me a clear look at the occupants of the chamber. Which only confirmed what I suspected.  
  
They were indeed kids. Although not very young ones, rather adolescents and young teens. Although colors differed, they did have a uniform theme, with shorts and sleeveless vests (or pants and a jacket in one case) over shirts with a globe insignia.  
  
They were missing the rings, though. Not entirely surprising.  
  
I suppose my face showed recognition. Asami asked, "Do you know them?"  
  
"The Planeteers," I sighed. "Because Earth spirits on this world tend toward irresponsibility in picking their champions."  
  
Since we'd all been on the receiving end of a gas chamber thanks to the Red Lotus, Korra didn't need to be told the next step. She expanded the breach in the gas chamber and lifted the coughing, choking occupants into the hall with us with funnel clouds. She used Airbending to circulate fresh air around them. I ran scans to see if the gas had done any terrible damage. "Right on time, as usual," I said. "We got you out before the gas did its worst. Some fresh air and you'll be bright as rain."  
  
"Who...are you?", the blonde - Linka, wasn't it? - managed between coughs.  
  
"A wandering Time Lord with a propensity to get drawn into events like this," I answered. "Now, let's get you to the roof and some real fresh air and you can fill me in on what's going on here."  
  
Whatever their answer would have been was drowned out by the crash of someone blasting through the wall opposite the one Korra made. A perfect waste if you ask me. But that does define the nitwits that these kids usually faced, doesn't it?  
  
I did feel my eyebrows raise at seeing just who flew in. And that should clue you in on the problem since most of the ne'er-do-well rogues gallery of the Planeteers lack that "personal flight" capability.  
  
"Well, it looks like someone's let the geeks out."  
  
"Oi, that horrible voice," I growled. "That horrible 'evil surfer dude' voice. Seriously?!"  
  
Captain bloody Pollution.  
  
I _hate_ these kinds of cosmoses, I swear.  
  
His dirty red hair had that "Wolverine" look to it which only Logan could hope to pull off convincingly. While the nature spirit incarnate being he was based on was shiny steel blue and green hair in color, he was entirely sickly yellow with red. The globe symbol on his chest was fractured in two and he looked like he'd been scrounging around in a dumpster, which is fitting given what he was.  
  
"Just what is he?", Korra asked.  
  
"Captain Pollution," Gi - I definitely remembered that name - answered for me.  
  
"Think of him as an evil spirit who wants to trash the world," I clarified for Korra.  
  
"Isn't any 'want' about it, that's what I'm doing!" With that he raised a hand and sent a beam of light at us. I absorbed it with the sonic disruptor. Pure radiation, the nasty kind. Of course.  
  
"How do we fight him?", Asami asked.  
  
I glanced at Korra. "He's weak against, well... Water, Earth, Fire, and Air."  
  
I actually chuckled at the devilish look that crossed Korra's face. "Then he's mine," she declared. She raised her right hand and a tight beam of flame lashed out and slammed Pollution back out the hole he'd come through.  
  
"You got that idea from Harry, didn't you?", I asked quietly.  
  
"Uh huh," she answered, her smile just as devilish as she charged to the hole. She made an Airbending motion as she came out of it.  
  
I heard a distant "thump". Somehow I thought that the evil surfer dude was going to be in for a rough time.  
  
Looking back and seeing the Planeteers were puzzled, I said, "Oh, sorry, that's Avatar Korra. She's from another world where the nations can bend the raw elements with their life force. As the Avatar she gets to bend all four. Without power rings. Now, where were we? Oh, yes. I'm a Time Lord, I travel the six dimensions with Companions to see the sights and occasionally deal with troublesome pests like your psychotic nature-hating foes. I have familiarity with a number of worlds, or cosmoses rather, including your own. Now." I wagged the sonic screwdriver in my hand. "I see you're lacking your rings. I suppose your enemies are responsible for that, hrm?"  
  
"They took them when they captured us," was the answer I got from Kwame.  
  
"Well, let's go about solving that, eh?" I held out the sonic screwdriver. "I think I'm going to get a laugh out of this."  
  
"Wait, hold it." The American kid - Wheeler - stepped up beside me. "Just what are you, again?"  
  
"Time Lord. Human-looking, but two hearts," I answered. "And a brain more advanced than anything on Earth. I try not to dwell on that though, in truth I rather like Humans and believe in giving you lot a helping hand whenever I can." I reached out and patted Asami on the shoulder. "And this is my other traveling Companion, Asami Sato. She's a friend of Korra's. Now that we have our introductions out of the way, you can introduce yourselves at your leisure while we go and deal with Pollution's friends."  
  
Granted, I knew them all already, but I figured it was good for Asami. And for kids who had seen so much and done so much, I think I still overwhelmed them a bit. It happens.  
  
There were mercenaries of some sort waiting for us outside the building's main door. They raised weapons and would have fired if I hadn't gotten to it first with the sonic disruptor. They all flew back from the impact. Asami went ahead of me, stunning them one after the other with her electric gauntlet. "She's good," Wheeler said, with a look in his eye that seemed, well, he was a young teen boy. "So, what kind of job does she normally do?"  
  
"Oh." I allowed myself a thin smile at the imminent irony. "She's a wealthy industrialist and futurist." I looked back to see their faces. "They're not _all_ lunatics who hate the environment, after all."  
  
The last merc went down and Asami crossed her arms. "You know, I think I fight more now than I ever did working with Korra and the others," she pointed out with amusement evident in her voice.  
  
"Much to my regret," I answered.  
  
"Their control room is this way!", Linka shouted, jumping to the lead. She sprinted ahead and now I was the one following.  
  
We rounded the building, then another, and finally came to a pair of metal doors with an electronic lock. I brought out the sonic and ran it over the keypad. After a couple of seconds the pad lit up with green and gave us admittance.  
  
Inside was a large robotic drill. Given my scan it was powered by its own nuclear reactor. A haphazardly-assembled one that would leak unsafe amounts of radiation over time. Because that's how these idiots operated, of course.  
  
The idiots in question turned to the door as we busted in. There was the blonde in the violet suit with half her face obscured by her hair, the green-suited corporate executive, the pudgy guy in the tan suit, the rat man in rags, the really fat guy in the brown suit, and the most dangerous one, the yellow rock-skinned mutant who shared a name with a rather irritating macho fellow I once ran into back when I was traveling with Jan and Cami. Yes, I know their bloody names, but I'm not saying them. I'd never be able to look myself in the mirror if I verbally pronounced names like "Verminous Skumm" or "Looten Plunder".  
  
Seriously, this world is just messed up.  
  
"He looks like a hog-monkey," I heard Asami mutter, looking at the fat one. The ironically named "Hoggish Greedly".... oh for the love of, _where did they get these names?!_ No, "it's a TV show to spread environmental propaganda to children" doesn't work anymore, they bloody _exist_ after all!  
  
"So you're chopping down rainforest to drill with an unsafe machine that will leak radiation all over the place?", I said aloud. "Seriously, what is it with you people? Did an environmental activist run over your pets or something?"  
  
"I don't know who you are, but I know radiation will still burn you!" The yellow fellow, Duke Nukem - okay, I'll use his name - in other words, threw a bolt of radiation at us. I absorbed it with the sonic disruptor.  
  
"I'm activating the drill now!", Dr. Blight shouted, reaching for a remote control.  
  
Asami got to her before she could trigger the device, grabbing her arm with her ungloved hand and catching her with her electric glove. Blight let out a cry and collapsed to the ground. Asami ducked and jumped away to avoid another radiation blast.  
  
With the fight joined at this point I went to where I could do the most damage. I rushed to the computer. The same computer face I'd seen before popped up. "And just what are you doing?"  
  
"Oh, giving you a little personality alteration," I answered as I turned on my sonic.  
  
"Do you really think you can defeat my creator's vast gen.... Wait, what are you.... ah nooo!" The screen flickered and the face fizzed in and out as I did just that. I wormed through Blight's coding and made some quick on the fly alterations. The green turned to purple - obviously - and that Tim Curry-like voice said, "Ah, hello sir, how might I aid you?"  
  
"Yes, BENE... may I call you Benny?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Yes, well, you can..." I had to duck and avoid the rat man, who had lunged at me. Asami got him with a kick to the face before he could strike at me again. "First off, where are the children's rings?"  
  
"In the polarity inverter, of course," Benny - formerly MAL, and no I'm not going to explain the joke behind his renaming, look up some Latin if you want a clue - informed me. "They had to be used to make the rings that created Captain Pollution."  
  
"Of course they did." I considered it a good thing that they'd let the Captain out to play, since it meant all the power in their rings was being taken up by his presence in the real world. As it was they still had physical advantages over young teens and pre-teens like the Planeteers. Too bad for them Asami was in the mix.  
  
I heard a crash and saw the fat guy rolling over, the victim of a cart of tools flung by two of the Planeteers. Some rather decent bodyguards were chasing them about. One had already grabbed Ma-Ti by the arm and was pulling him away from the others. Or at least he was until Asami got him from behind with her electric gauntlet.  
  
Still, forcing Asami to do most of the fighting... not wise strategy, that. I had to change the equation.  
  
At my request, Benny opened the aforementioned polarity inverter. Five rings lay within. I grabbed them in one swipe of my hand. "Alright, I've got some power rings here that could use some wielders!"  
  
The Planeteers responded and turned as I chucked the rings at them, taking quick glances to make sure everyone got the ones they needed. The moment she had hers, Linka pivoted on one foot, let out a cry of "Wind!", and a hurricane-strength gust of air threw a squad of responding mercenaries into the wall and door behind them.  
  
"Earth!" Kwame's attack was focused on the flank. Much like Korra would have done with a sweep of her leg or a motion of her arm, the green light from the ring heralded a sudden growth from the earth; rock that threw off more of the enemy forces.  
  
"Alright Benny," I said, returning my attention to the computer. "Be a friend and download all of your data into my device."  
  
"Of course, sir!", he answered helpfully, engaging in doing just that.  
  
"And while you're at it... just how did they get the technology to do all of this? I know these worlds can have wonky technological paradigms, but this is a bit much."  
  
"Ah, we have had sponsorship from a most mysterious source."  
  
"I imagined you did," I said. From what I knew of this world, I had a good idea as to whom. "Well, do me a favor and purge all of Blight's research data on this project. Every bit of it. And if you have any access to their bank accounts, give some generous anonymous donations to some environmentalist groups."  
  
"Right away, sir!"  
  
I raised my head and saw one of the villains, the toxic waste one, heading toward the drill robot. I imagined he intended a manual activation. "Hey!", I shouted. "Whatever your name is, toxic disposal person!"  
  
Naturally, he didn't quite answer to that, but I didn't think he would anyway. And it really didn't matter because with a burst of the sonic disruptor he went flying. I ran up to the drill and opened up the power core. There was low level radiation leaking through. I frowned and saw the reason with the shoddy work around the containment vessel. "Bloody fools," I muttered. All I could do for the moment was keep the system shut down, but the radioactive material was still an issue. I'd have to put Korra's Metalbending to work with it.  
  
There was an animalistic growl from the rat man, now sprawled out beside the radiation-spewing Duke Nukem. "You haven't won yet, Planeteers! When Captain Pollution gets back..."  
  
I have to say, I'm really sure this world ran on Narrativium too. It would have had to given what happened. Part of the ceiling exploded inward and Captain Pollution came flying inside, snapping off the tip of the drill on the robot before crumbling to the ground. "Awww man, I need toxics...", he moaned.  
  
Korra came rushing in with flame jets on her feet courtesy of Firebending. Streams of water surrounded her. Her arms moved and earth erupted from the ground to encase the nasty being. "Someone doesn't want a bath," she joked before bringing the water down on him and circulating it within his new stone prison. Pollution's cries grew weaker as the strength sapped from him. He finally dissipated. "So... anyone else?", Korra asked, sounding almost too eager.  
  
I couldn't help but smile, though. Her posture, the twinkle in her eye... that was Korra as she had been before she was hurt. She looked more confident than she had since the Red Lotus.  
  
"Their rings are going to work again," Linka warned, readying her own.  
  
"The yellow one first!", Asami shouted to Korra, and Korra reacted. With just two arm movements she had Duke Nukem buried in the earth up to his neck, catching him before he could use his power ring. The sheer speed in which she had incapacitated their best bruiser took the fight out of the Planeteers' rogues, who didn't put up much struggle while Korra helped the Planeteers confine each with their elemental powers.  
  
With water on hand thanks to Korra, Gi was already going after the last enemy standing - the corporate executive one - who shouted in angry defiance as the water washed over him, soaking him to the bone and knocking him over. Korra's Earthbending generated grips to bind his hands and arms to the floor.  
  
I looked around. I was the first to see it was over. The opposing forces were either incapacitated or surrendering, with a few fleeing successfully in the chaos.  
  
"Woh, we got them!", Wheeler shouted.  
  
"Actually, we didn't," Kwame corrected. He looked to me. "None of this would have been possible without you. Thank you, sir."  
  
"Thank you all." Gi nodded to Asami, who smiled and nodded back.  
  
"So, you use those power rings to bend?" Korra walked up to us. "That's pretty cool."  
  
Linka disagreed immediately. "No, what is... 'cool'... is that you don't need any."  
  
"Before we let this become a congratulations ceremony, we have one piece of business," I said. I looked to Benny aka the former Mal. "Benny, did you find that communications protocol?"  
  
"I did, sir! What would you like me to do?"  
  
"Open it." I looked to the main desk. I had recognized a holo-emitter when I saw one, and it was the same that now activated. A dark-haired man's visage appeared, a glower on his face to show his irritation. "Ah, hello. You would be... Zarm, isn't it? Hello. I'm a Time Lord of Gallifrey. You may call me Doc, if you must."  
  
"What is it to you?", Zarm asked.  
  
"Nothing much. I'm just here to give a friendly warning, since that's my usual thing," I replied. "I've got one term for you, Zarm, and one only. Ignore it to your own peril. That term is... _leave the Earth alone_."  
  
Anger flashed through the malevolent being's expression. "And why should I?"  
  
"Because..." I glanced back at the Planeteers and then to the visage. "...this world is protected. It's protected by them and it's also protected by _me_. I rather like Earth and Humans, you see, and I don't take kindly to off-world spirits of anger and malevolence looking to foul it up to appease their raging egos. So consider this your fair warning. Stay away from this planet. Or you may find that Captain Planet is the _least_ of your worries." I held up my sonic and terminated the call. "There. We're all done. And we didn't even need you to summon your friend."  
  
"Actually, I think we'll need his help for cleaning this place up," Gi pointed out.  
  
"Ah, well, be my guest."  
  
So I watched them do their thing, contemplating that it did make the experience complete.  
  
  
  
  
After some calls to local authorities were made it was time to leave. "You could come back to Hope Island and rest, if you want," Kwame offered.  
  
"Ah, next time certainly. But we have an impatient polar bear dog who needs walkies in a nice, open valley."  
  
The Planeteers looked at each other. "Polar bear... dog?", Wheeler asked.  
  
I snapped my fingers and the TARDIS door opened. Naga squeezed out, bounded up to Korra, and pressed her muzzle up against her. Korra laughed. "Woh girl, we didn't forget you. We just had some business to do."  
  
"What an amazing creature." Ma-Ti stepped up first and extended a hand. Naga chuffed happily and let him run his fingers through her white fur.  
  
"Korra's homeworld has some interesting chimerical species," I said. "Some are not as enjoyable as others, though. I shan't burden you with spider-rats."  
  
That prompted a few disgusted noises. "Ewwwh, no, please do not," Linka pleaded.  
  
"It was good to have you all." We all looked up and watched Captain Planet land among the others.  
  
"Pleasure is ours," I answered. "Do take care of yourselves, eh?"  
  
"We all do our parts. The power is yours!"  
  
I refrained from rolling my eyes at the catchphrase. It would have been the height of rudeness. And it would have ignored that there was truth in the statement anyway.  
  
Naturally, at that catchphrase, the good Captain returned to his usual otherworldly abode and dispersed his powers back into the rings. With that done it looked like our meeting was about over.  
  
"Can I ask something, Doc?"  
  
I nodded at Wheeler. "Sure."  
  
"You say you travel through time and different worlds and stuff, right?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Well... does it get any better?"  
  
I nodded slightly. "I won't lie and say it always does. There are so many possibilities, and Humans are unfortunately quite capable of bringing about the worst." I extended a hand and put it on his shoulder while looking to the others. Wheeler was arguably the most cynical of the five, but I imagined all harbored some fears that it might be for nothing in the end. "Your species can be short-sighted, vain, and foolish about a lot of things. I understand it can be frustrating to deal with that. But I'll tell you now, I'm quite convinced that in your case, things _will_ get better. Your world will find the balance between science and nature that gives you the resources you need to thrive and grow without damaging your world."  
  
"Yeah," Asami chimed in. "I've seen it too. A lot of worlds get past our eras and into better ones. I'm committed to seeing that come about on my world and I'm sure you can do the same here."  
  
The thought crossed my mind that the kids may have never heard an industrialist say those things. But I didn't interrupt. "Exactly. Humans can be all those terrible things, but you're so good at overcoming them. You adapt, you learn, and you thrive. So yes,your world will get better. And I think you'll play a pretty important role in it."  
  
In their eyes I saw that they took heart from my words. Wheeler nodded and offered me his hand, which I took for a handshake. "Thanks... Doc, isn't it?"  
  
"It's short for 'Doctor'," Korra said. "It's his old name."  
  
"An old name," I corrected, "but not mine. I'll make due with another in good time."  
  
"Well, I like it," Gi said. "You should go back to it."  
  
I said nothing, keeping the faint smile on my face. There would be time to consider my name issues later.  
  
After a final exchange of goodbyes, and the provision of a temporal beacon should I ever have to follow up on my threat to Zarm, our entertaining little meeting ended. Compared to the usual instances of such things, it was fairly memorable. Especially so for Korra. The fight with Captain Pollution was not a very fair one, I think, given the weaknesses of the latter, but it had given Korra a jolt of confidence, the jolt she'd been seeking for quite a while. The meeting had thus served its purpose, providing a landmark on her road to recovery.  
  
Which, of course, also meant her departure from the TARDIS was soon at hand.

**Author's Note:**

> My readers on the Spacebattles.com forum particularly enjoyed this entry, if just for the sheer fun of it... and the mental image of Korra giving Captain Pollution a curbstomping. In fact, the response to this short included a link to a rather entertaining song:
> 
> https://youtu.be/mWRuka6I7Ng


End file.
